Introducing Kloboucká Lesní’s HQ: using Mass Timber and Solar to eliminate carbon in buildings

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February 11, 2023

• Warm welcome to Wood Central, and other thoughts as industry arrives on new platform

You have arrived at Wood Central. Welcome.

Wood Central is Australia’s first and only dedicated platform covering wood-based media on all digital platforms.

Our vision is to develop an integrated platform for media, events, education, and products that connect, inform, and inspire the people and organisations who work in and promote forestry, timber and fibre.

Our mission is to positively influence specifiers and consumers of timber-based products, using media to grow the market for forest products and share the stories of ‘the ultimate renewable’ – for the industry by the industry.

We believe that by creating a platform which connects people, ideas, and businesses together we can positively shape the future of Australian forest-products now and into the future.

Growing the market for timber through story telling:

Our core business is industry content. Wood Central delivers by using the best journalists and correspondents who have covered the industry for decades, providing authoritative news and comment through a wide reach of editorial, features, events, and education.

Our content is both digital and interactive using new media streams (including social media, podcasting and video) to connect to a growing audience of specifiers and consumers now connecting with wood.

We strive to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for our audience through the delivery of informative, consistent, and engaging content.

Our audience is the total market for timber and fibre-based products. It represents the Australian forest products industry – and consumers of timber, paper and wood-based products.

The forest products industry is one of the largest building material providers in Australia with more than 80% house framing using timber-based frames and trusses.

Our products: advertising, promotion, events and education:

Every great business has products that solve problems. In the world of timber, our mission is to offer products that help businesses connect with consumers.

Through display advertising, content, digital marketing and interactive events and education, Wood Central provides an unrivalled platform to promote a business, a product, or a service to the industry.

Quite simply, nothing else exists that is as targeted, trusted and effective as Wood Central.

Display advertising – brand awareness, lead generation:

Advertising is an effective way to build, define, articulate and manage your brand.

It is a defining instrument to ensure your customers and stakeholders have a clear and informed understanding of your product or the service offered.

Display advertising provides an effective channel to generate qualified leads into a sales funnel.

We work with our partners to ensure your business is speaking with our audience in the most effective and meaningful way to ensure that brand awareness and lead generation are maximised.

Content and marketing:

With the rise and proliferation of social media, both in our personal and professional lives, content and its accessibility is now the foundation of how we make decisions.

Whether it is through blog posts, news articles, video, TV or comments, the way we engage, perceive and trust brands is now anchored by content.

We work with our partners to help engage our community in a meaningful way that contributes to the conversation and education of our industry.

Events using expertise to build lasting relationships:

Combining innovative ideas, need-to-know industry information, expert speakers and interactive formats, Wood Central can provide attendees with the information and inspiration that they need to drive the consumption of timber and paper-based products – even further.

JASON ROSS, Publisher

Jason is an experienced sustainability, marketing and communication professional. Drawing on experience as a senior manager and director in a multi-national business ($400m+ turnover), Jason draws on comprehensive experience overseeing project management teams, using advanced project management skills to secure major opportunities by tender submission or negotiation.

Jason has a passion for green buildings. As a former Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP), he has been an active member of the Queensland GBCA industry committee and has advised the Queensland State Government on environmental protection, heritage, housing and public works.

From 2018 until 2022 Jason managed the Responsible Wood (and PEFC) brands in the Australian and New Zealand market, resulting in a rapid growth in Responsible Wood.

An experienced spokesperson, Jason has presented to a variety of forums including the United Nations (Australia and New Zealand), the Property Council (Australia), Master Builder (Australia), the Building Designer Association of Australia (BDAA), the Australian Institute of Building, the National Retailers Association, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and New Zealand (NZGBC), the PEFC Council (Geneva, Switzerland), the Wood Processors Manufacturing Association (New Zealand) and the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP).

In 2021-22, Jason was awarded a JW Gottstein Fellowship, an international project to explore the role of the circular economy in the Australian forest products industry.

He has a Master’s Degree, Marketing (advanced) from the Queensland University of Technology; is a QUT Graduate School of Management and has a Bachelor Degree, Economics and Management.

JIM BOWDEN, Senior Editor and Co-Publisher

Jim Bowden brings more than 50 years’ experience in agriculture and timber journalism. Since he founded Australian Timberman in 1977, he has been devoted to the forest industry – with a passion.

His career in journalism and media management includes national promotions manager for the Rural Press Group of publications, associate editor and chief of staff, Queensland Country Life, founding editor of The Cattleman, Australian Timberman, Go Camping Australia, Australian Handyman, and Australian Joinery magazines

Jim was managing editor of Timber&Forestry enews (2010-22) and was national secretary of the JW Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund.
He is a foundation member of the Rural Press Club and has edited and published six books on deer farming; goats (meat, fibre and milk; Agriculture – An Extension; “A Child’s Organic Garden; Aquaculture in Australia; Fish Farming for Recreation and Profit; and the Australian Forest Industries Directory (2 editions), and recently a children’s book Aussie Bush Rhymes for Younger Minds.

Jim has led or co-led trade missions to the US, South America, New Zealand, Europe, Malaysia, China and The Philippines. He was leader of the EuroWood 2001 tour to the LIGNA Trade Fair in Hannover, Germany, that also inspected timber machinery plants in Austria and Italy.

As an agricultural journalist, Jim was special UK correspondent for Queensland Country Life for six months based in London and Cardiff, Wales.

An elephant in the room, but a good one… Jim Bowden, leader of the EuroWood 2021 tour to the LIGNA Trade Fair in Hannover, pictured with the Weinig logo on a visit to the German manufacturer’s HQ in Tauberbischofsheim.

Fires Crunch Timber Prices in Oregon, Washington and California

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January 17, 2025

Beachfront properties are left destroyed by the Palisades Fire, in this aerial view, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Malibu, California. A new study has revealed that more severe fire and drought risk could cost the Pacific West timber market billions of dollars in lost income (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The increased threat of wildfires and potential damages to timberlands from drought, fire and smoke will reduce timber prices in Oregon, Washington and California in the coming decades, according to Oregon’s 2025 climate assessment. It comes as wildfires and drought have caused $11.2 billion in damages to privately owned timberland in Oregon, Washington and California in the last 20 years, a 2023 Oregon State University study showed – resulting in a 10% reduction in the value of private timberland in the three states.

“The threat of future wildfire risks are expected to continue driving down costs as timberland owners and buyers anticipate increased risks due to climate change,” Oregon State University rural economics expert David Lewis told KOIN 6 News: “Risk of damage to forests from wildfire has increased in the past two decades, and that translates to timberland buyers willing to pay less for timberland.”

“When the risk of wildfire increases, then future timber harvest revenues become less certain for buyers and owners of forest land, and that’s why they’re willing to pay less, which explains the negative effect we find of wildfires on timberland prices.”

The 2025 Oregon Climate Assessment predicts that Oregon’s wildfire risks will dramatically increase in the coming decades as the state’s average temperatures are forecast to rise by at least 5 degrees by 2074 and 7.6 degrees by 2100. The changing climate is expected to bring more winter rain, severe ice storms, flooding, less mountain snow, less summer rain, drought, increased wildfire risk, crop failure and severe environmental impacts.

While wildfires present obvious hazards for the region, smoke damage alone could reduce Oregon’s per-annum gross domestic product by at least $1 billion, or about one-third of 1%, according to Oregon’s latest climate assessment:

“Estimates illustrate that a major smoke event similar to those that Oregon residents have experienced in recent years is expected to lead to localized and industry-specific economic losses in the state,” the climate assessment report states. “The Oregon industries most susceptible to economic losses due to wildfire smoke events represent approximately 40% of total employment, 31% of labour income, and 33% of total economic output per year for the state.”

Timber’s Fix: Retirement Living Helps Solve Aussie Housing Crisis

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January 17, 2025

James Hyne and Patrick Cumner with a Hyne Timber framed lifestyle dwelling under construction in the Hervey Bay region. (Photo Credit: Supplied)

Retirement living is rising Australia-wide, with lighter, faster, and eco-friendly timber-framed lifestyle dwellings emerging as a fix to free up the housing squeeze. That is according to Hyne Timber, one of Australia’s oldest softwood manufacturers, now working with Brighton Homes to build 800 new builds for Ingenia, Stockwell Group, and Green Fort Capital alone.

According to the 2021 ABS Census, more than 250,000 Australians now live in retirement communities, an increase of 23% from 2016, which has helped to reduce the housing shortage by more than 18%. Typically, residents sell the family home to move into a ‘right size’ village without a mortgage, freeing up housing stock for future generations. According to a report by the Retirement Living Council, “growing this pipeline to meet demand could reduce the housing shortage by 67 per cent over the next 5 years.”

Patrick Cumner Brighton Homes James Hyne Hyne Timber and the Team at Ingenia 1 — Patrick Cumner from Brighton Homes, with James Hyne of Hyne Timber and the Ingenia team. (Photo Credit: Supplied)

Brighton Homes Business Development Manager Patrick Cumner said the builder’s pipeline would deliver almost 12,000 dwellings in Queensland over the next few years: “Lifestyle villages have been hugely popular across America for many years, and this model is taking off here in Australia. These centrally located villages can have hundreds of low-maintenance dwellings along with the popular, shared facilities, services, and social programs that make these communities desirable for healthy and active retirees.”

“For the most part, homeowners do not own the village land on which their home sits, and therefore, by law, the home must be relocatable. This type of construction lends itself to timber while also delivering the many user-friendly and environmental benefits our locally grown timber provides.”
Patrick Cumner, Brighton Homes Business Development Manager, on the value of using locally grown timber framing to build retirement villages.

For James Hyne, the Hyne Group’s Stakeholder Engagement Manager, given the challenges in sourcing housing and land across the country, the new model contributes positively in many ways: “Not only are these lifestyle villages in hot demand but they’re also being largely built using timber for a range of benefits including the ability to relocate them, quieter buildings, locally grown, locally manufactured and locally processed into frames and trusses.”

Wood Central understands that the 800 builds, which will all be built across three Hervey Bay lifestyle villages, will use more than 3,500 cubic metres of timber and sequester 2,500 tonnes of carbon – taking the equivalent of 1,270 cars off the road. “This volume of structurally graded, softwood plantation pine will have regrown across the Australian softwood plantation estate in just 10 hours,” a Hyne Group representative told Wood Central. “Construction doesn’t get more renewable than that.”

Timber Industry Wants Albo to Take Axe to Forest Lock-Up Plan

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January 17, 2025

Australia (with China) now leads the world in reforestation with almost all forests certified to the PEFC or FSC sustainable forest management standards.

The Queensland timber industry has raised alarm at the Australian Government’s new carbon method, the Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Forests. “This method raised far more questions than it answers,” according to Timber Queensland’s CEO Mick Stephens, who told Wood Central that the method was “at odds” with principles identified in the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report, which states that:

In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4^th assessment report.

Mr Stephens said the proposed method “suggests that by simply ceasing sustainable timber harvesting in public multiple-use forests, you can generate additional long-term abatement compared to the counterfactual of continued harvesting and storage of carbon in regrowing forests and harvested wood products.” However, “this is in direct contrast to many life cycle analyses of managed forests with sustainable timber harvesting, which show long-term sustained carbon benefits when the substitution of steel and concrete in the built environment is included along with carbon stored in forests and harvested wood products.”

“The method fails on multiple accounts to meet the very principles Minister Bowen set out following the recent Chubb review into the land-based carbon sequestration market.”

Mick HS 2 — Mick Stephens claims that the Albanese Government’s carbon method is at odds with the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4^th assessment report.

These failures include:

a high likelihood of perverse carbon mitigation outcomes;
a risk of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on dodgy credits;
adverse economic and social outcomes for the native forestry industry if implemented;
disregard for a growing body of Australian and international research supporting the longer-term carbon benefits from actively managing native forests with the inclusion of sustainable timber harvesting and
a lack of transparency and public disclosure on the proposed method and assessment process used by the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC).

“We have briefed the Queensland Government and advocated that they reject this method at a state level given the seriousness of potential impacts and policy development flaws, similar to the position being taken by the Tasmanian Government,” Mr Stephens said. “The native hardwood sector in Queensland contributes almost $700 million each year to the economy and supports 6000 jobs across the state, providing much-needed building and housing materials.”

“We believe this proposal is ideologically motivated by the method proponent (NSW Government) to restrict further native forestry in Australia, which can contribute to poor land management outcomes including higher risks of bushfires.”
Mick Stephens, the CEO of Timber Queensland – the peak body for forest products in Queensland.

“Timber Queensland is calling on the Australian Government to withdraw this method immediately and to undertake a review into how the approval process seemingly ignored the counterfactual science,” Mr Stephens said. “The irony is there is a definitive need for a carbon method that deliberately encourages forest thinning and sustainable timber harvesting to improve tree growth and productivity, forest health and long-term carbon outcomes in many public and private native forests.”

For more information about the Australian Government’s Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Forests and the proposal proposed by Forestry Australia (the professional body for Australian foresters) to correct the method, click here for Wood Central’s story published in September.

Urgent Call to Reassess Workplace Safety in 2025: Are You Prepared?

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January 17, 2025

ID 30854003 | Forklift Operator Timber © Photographerlondon | Dreamstime.com — dreamstime m 30854003

The National Timber and Hardware Association (NTHA) now calling for a nationwide health check on Australian workplace health and safety...

In 2023 alone, 200 Australian workers died from traumatic injuries at work, according to Safe Work Australia. Over 1880 traumatic injury fatalities were reported in Australian workplaces in the past 10 years, and over 1,165,100 workers submitted a serious workers’ compensation claim. The majority of those injured or killed were male machinery operators, drivers, or labourers.

Preventable incidents, particularly those related to workplace traffic management, have devastating effects on the injured, their families, and their workplaces.

Recent traffic incidents within the timber and hardware industry have highlighted the critical need for simple but effective Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) systems, particularly in high-risk areas where vehicles, machinery, and pedestrians interact. No industry, especially ours, is immune. The consequences of inaction are dire.

Act now!

The reality is stark: these incidents can and do happen and are preventable. Even in workplaces with experienced teams, a single oversight can lead to life-changing injuries.

Although WHS procedures are implemented by businesses, team leaders often fail to revisit these plans or adapt them to evolving risks. To create safer workplaces in 2025, NTHA is urging all members to act now and make better traffic management systems by implementing the following:

Review and update traffic management plans: Regularly assess your workplace layout to identify all hazards and the risks associated with vehicle and pedestrian interactions.
Implement driver exclusion zones: Designate driver safety areas and enforce no-go zones for truck drivers during loading and unloading activities.
Define forklift safety zones: Use clear signage and lines to indicate where forklifts operate to reduce the risk of collisions.
Identify safe loading and unloading zones: Ensure clear zones with at least three metres of access around forklifts to enhance visibility, safety and minimise risks.
Train and educate employees: Ensure all workers understand the importance of safety protocols. Conduct regular training sessions to reinforce vigilance and drive change.

Remember, safety is a shared responsibility!

Safety is not a one-time task; it is an ongoing commitment. Waiting for an incident to happen before acting is a gamble no business can afford. By proactively reviewing safety measures, engaging your team in open discussions about risks, and seeking expert guidance, you will reduce workplace accidents and create a safer workplace.

Contact NTHA today for easy-to-follow guidance on hazard reviews, traffic management plans, or WHS training tailored to your business. Together, we can ensure that every worker goes home safely at the end of the day—because safety is everyone’s right and responsibility. For support, please contact NTHA at 1800 822 621, where you can talk to WHS/HR Manager Vicki Stableford or WHS Specialist Graeme Burchall directly.

*Please note: This article was provided by NTHA to Wood Central for distribution.

Why Egypt is Manufacturing MDF from Rice Straw (Not Timber)

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January 15, 2025

A site of rice straw collection in Egypt’s Delta

Rice straw is now being used as a substitute for timber-based MDF, with the agricultural waste product being engineered to compete with wooden MDF for machinability, paintability and strength. First developed in the Sacramento Valley by Jerry Uhland, a long-time farmer deep in the heart of California’s rice farming area, the tree-free board is also being manufactured in the Middle East.

There, the Egyptian government has built only the second-ever rice straw facility, now serviced by off-the-grid electricity supplied to a remote location in Northern Egypt. The €210 million plant, built with support from Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, SIDPEC and Petrojet, is part of a push by the Egyptian Petroleum Ministry to transform rice straw from an environmental challenge into an opportunity to create high-value building products:

“The project is one of the most important projects supported by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources,” according to Tarek el-Molla, the former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, with the Egyptian Wood Technology Company (EWTC) converting rice straw into medium-density wood panels used to make cabinets, doors, furniture and commercial and residential buildings.

wotechplantegypt jpg — Last week, the Egyptian Wood Technology Company (WOTECH) secured a deal with Rolls-Royce to supply ten mtu gas gensets for its production plant. According to Tobias Ostermaier, President Stationary Power Solutions at Rolls-Royce, the new gas gensets are fully off the grid and provide “the best-in-class power density with low emissions.” (Photo Credit: The Egyptian Wood Technology Company’s (WOTECH))

How is Rice Straw MDF made?

Wood Central understands that the process starts in the rice fields, where straw is gathered into bales and brought into the manufacturing facility. From there, the rice straw undergoes a chopping and separating process, breaking it down to manufacture MDF: “After that, it looks like a traditional MDF manufacturer,” said Geri Freeman, the CEO of CalPlant – who until May 2023 was responsible for producing rice-straw MDF from the world’s first production plant in California.

According to Freeman, recovering post-harvest rice straw has two key environmental benefits: conserving water and reducing emissions. And because the product is created using a formaldehyde-free resin system, it doesn’t negatively impact indoor air quality.

“All rice straw utilised by our plant is locally sourced within 25 miles of the facility, significantly decreasing the plant’s sourcing impact on the planet,” Freeman explained. “When you look at comparably sized, wood-based MDF plants, we have lower plant emissions thanks to its use of rice straw instead of the wood fibre.”

To learn more, click here to read Freeman’s interview with Union Pacific Railroad.

Panic Buying Rises: Trump’s Tariffs ‘Spook’ Timber Supply Chains

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January 15, 2025

June,21st,2023:,Portrait,Of,Donald,Trump,Standing,Proudly,In

Just days out from Donald Trump’s inauguration, the threat of tariffs on Canadian lumber has sparked fears of panic buying, a move that is already starting to agitate the global timber market and prices. “A number of Canadian lumber companies are now advising customers that they will add 25 per cent to lumber exports to the U.S. when the tariff is announced,” according to Russ Taylor, who last week wrote about the impact of tariffs on the timber supply chain.

“With Canadian mills already paying an average of 14.4 per cent import duties on U.S. shipments, they have no alternative but to increase prices by 25 per cent to cover the potential tariff.”

The new tariff concerns – which will have significant implications for the $50 billion global timber trade – come after Wood Central reported that duties on more than $3 billion worth of US-bound Canadian softwood could double to more than 30%. According to the Canadian-based Globe and Mail, this projection is “based on a historical pattern of higher duties whenever there are low prices in the lumber markets.”

“We don’t need their <Canadian> lumber. We have massive fields of lumber. We don’t need their lumber. We have to unrestrict them because stupid people put, you know, restrictions on – but I can do that with an executive order. We don’t need anything they have (…referring also to cars and dairy, but not oil).”
President-elect Donald Trump on potential trade tariffs on Canadian lumber.

“The bottom line (is that) the US need Canadian lumber and OSB; (and) Canada really needs the US lumber and OSB market,” according to Mr Taylor, adding that “Canadian exports of MDF and particleboard go mainly to the US (98% of total exports) while plywood exports to the US are small at 300 million sf and represent about 3% of US consumption.”

“So, waiting to see what Trump will do with 25% tariffs has already spooked the markets,” he said. “Let us see what Trump’s strategy really is, as the tariffs will backfire very quickly if implemented, causing higher prices and inflation and the potential of shortages and job losses.”

For more information, including estimates around the size of the Canadian-US trade in lumber and OSB, click here to visit (and subscribe) to the Russ Taylor Global newsletter. To learn more about the North American softwood lumber dispute and its impact on the price of Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) and Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), click here for Wood Central’s special feature.

More Deadly Fires: Climate Change’s Heavy Toll on Boreal Forests

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January 15, 2025

Scientists report that global warming is forcing boreal forests - which dominate large parts of the Northern Hemisphere is retreating northward, creating a massive open forest area with a much higher risk of mega-fires. (Photo Credit: GK8T03 via Alamy Images)

Climate change is driving a “fundamental shift” in tree density across vast forests in Canada, Siberia, and Alaska, forming an “open state” at a much higher risk of forest fires. That is according to new research published by Wageningen University. The research analysed two decades of satellite-gathered tree cover data and found that this shift occurs more rapidly at the southern boreal boundaries than at the northern ones.

The study, Boreal forests are heading for an open state, comes months after researchers reported that climate change is responsible for a “significant migration” northward for boreal forests, with trees dying in southern regions and instead thriving in areas previously too cold.

“Global boreal forests will undergo a fundamental transition toward an open forest state of 30 to 50% tree cover in the coming decades,” according to the abstract, with “the boreal forest biome is warming four times faster than the global average.”

Boreal forests encircle the cold, northern regions of our planet. They host a diverse set of species, regulate the global climate by storing huge amounts of carbon in the trees and soils, and provide for the livelihoods of millions of people. However, within decades, global warming rapidly changes the conditions under which boreal forests have fulfilled their roles within the ecosystem.

Understanding how boreal forests change is key to the planet’s future.

And because boreal trees grow slowly, changes in the forest take time to see: “This time lag could keep the forests in a state that doesn’t match the changing climate,” according to Ronny Rotbarth, the study’s lead author: “Forests growing at the southern boreal distribution range may not be able to maintain the current number of trees as the climate becomes drier and warmer. Therefore, they may become less dense. Other forests, in the cold north, could support more trees as conditions warm up, and in fact, become denser than the forests we currently find there.”

Why past changes to forests can offer a glimpse into the future.

Future changes in ecosystems, such as boreal forests, are typically projected by complex simulation models. In the study, the researchers used an alternative innovative approach. “By examining two decades of tree density from space, we explored whether past changes could hint at the future state to which the forests may be shifting,” says Egbert van Nes, co-author of the study. The researchers used the changes in tree density during that time to project forest conditions until 2100.

New research published suggests that European forests are at high risk from climate change-induced global warming - adding to a bottleneck in timber supply. (Photo Credit: Concordia Discors / Alamy Stock Photo) — Last year, the researchers published a study reporting that European forests are at high risk from climate change-induced global warming – adding to a bottleneck in timber supply. (Photo Credit: Concordia Discors / Alamy Stock Photo)

The results indicate that global boreal forests might change to a more open type, with trees covering about 30%–50% of the area. “This is very different from what we see now, which includes dense forests with more than 60% tree cover and sparse forests with around 5%–15% tree cover,” said Marten Scheffer, co-author of the study. “We were surprised by how consistent this projection is across the global distribution of boreal forests.”

Climate change is creating a perfect recipe for forest fires.

According to the model, tree cover in warmer boreal forests decreases, while cover in colder, northern boreal forests increases, moving the entire forest system to one single state. The open forest type in a warmer world could lead to more forest fires, releasing a lot of carbon currently stored in the trees and soils. “The currently dominating sparse and dense forest types burn less frequently than the open type,” said Milena Holmgren, one of the study’s co-authors.

“Sparse forests typically do not provide enough fuel for fires to burn, and dense forests create micro-climates which prevent forest fires. The open type we project, however, meets the sweet spot and could lead to more fires than we observe at present. The crucial functions of boreal forests would be at risk.”
Milena Holmgren, one of the study’s co-authors on the impact of climate change on Boreal forests.

For more information: Ronny Rotbarth et al., Boreal forests are heading for an open state, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404391121. Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Expect Delays: Red Sea Crisis is Still Hitting Timber Supply Hard

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January 15, 2025

The recent Red Sea crisis, sparked by attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants on ships in the area, has significantly disrupted maritime trade through the Suez Canal. This disruption has had profound implications for global trade, particularly affecting the Indian market. (Photo Credit: Supply Chain Spotlight via LinkedIn)

The Suez Canal is bleeding money with large volumes of “bunching” at ports and terminals as the Red Sea crisis—now stretching beyond 450 days—continues to wreak havoc on the global supply of timber. That is according to Abdel Fattah al-Sisis, Egypt’s President, who claims that the blockage caused year-over-year revenue in the Egyptian-controlled canal to nosedive by 60% last year— or more than US $7 billion.

It comes as Egpyt is looking to expand the canal’s width from 72km to 82km following a successful two-way trial late last month. Once implemented, it will expand the Suez Canal and prevent a repeat of the disastrous Ever Given grounding, which in 2021 brought the busy thoroughfare to a standstill. According to the Suez Canal Authority, the body responsible for managing traffic through the canal, the expansion will “boost the channel’s capacity by as many as eight ships a day, enhancing its ability to handle (future) potential emergencies.

In October, Wood Central “vessel bunching” —defined as the number of sailings in a given week exceeding scheduled services—is skyrocketing, with the busy Northern Europe and Asian routes responsible for more than 70% of the trade in bulk timber products, amongst the most impacted by congestion.

“While the offered capacity may be the same over two weeks, i.e., no vessel sailing in one week followed by two vessels sailing the next week, having two vessels depart in one week and zero vessels in the second week results in an extraordinarily high workload in one week and none in the second week,” according to Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence.

“This increases the risk of port congestion – and as a ripple effect, a similar crunch on truck, rail, and barge capacity use. Vessel bunching can, therefore, be seen as a proxy measure for the pressure on ports and the corresponding likelihood of congestion problems,” he said.

Asia NEUR — “Vessel bunching” has surged since the beginning of the Red Sea Crisis – in November 2023 – rivalling the chaos in global shipping caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo Credit: Sea Intelligence)

As one of the most traded products on earth, more than US $188 billion worth of timber products are traded from country to country and port to port, with a large portion of this ‘bulk trade’ occurring on open waters. As a result, the global supply chain for timber products—used to build some of the largest buildings in the world—is highly vulnerable to geopolitical turmoil along the shipping network. According to the World’s Top Exports, the crisis has impacted the US by up to $50.8 billion of sawn wood, with China among the most affected. The big six—including China, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Germany, and the US—are responsible for over 70% of exported timber that widely uses the seaway; however, the impacts are being felt wider, with Australian-bound timber tied up in the bottleneck.

To learn more about the Red Sea crisis and its impact on timber supply chains, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.

Meet the New Executive Director Steering Australia’s $100m AFWI

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January 13, 2025

Dr Joseph Lawrence started in the role today. (Photo Credit: Supplied)

Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) has appointed Dr Joseph Lawrence as its new Executive Director starting today. The $100m AFWI, established last year to advance research, development and innovation in the forest and wood products industries, is a key pillar in the Albanese government’s strategy to drive the next generation of Australian forestry.

Julie Collins, Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said the new appointment “means the AFWI is in extremely capable hands,” with Lawrence becoming “a vital point of contact for industry and providing direction and security for the AFWI and (greater) timber sector.”

“Joining AFWI at this pivotal moment for the organisation and the forestry and wood products sector is an incredible opportunity,” according to Dr Lawrence, who said his focus “will be on strengthening partnerships between researchers, industry, and Government to position AFWI as a leader in transformative, industry-led research.”

“By advancing innovation and sustainability, we aim to deliver tangible benefits that directly support and grow the sector. I’m eager to collaborate with our partners to drive impactful outcomes that address the industry’s evolving challenges.”

AFWI Chair Bob Gordon is “thrilled to welcome Dr Joseph Lawrence as AFWI’s Executive Director,” adding that his impressive track record in fostering collaboration and delivering innovation makes him uniquely qualified to lead AFWI: “With the support of our Board of Directors and a team of expert staff, we are confident Joseph will help shape the future of the forestry and wood products sector.”

Dr Lawrence’s 20-plus year career in specialised research

Holding a PhD in Engineering Management from the University of Canterbury, a technical MBA (MEM) and a Bachelor of Engineering where Lawrence’s research focused on business models for collaborative research centres. Over the past twenty years, he has led manufacturing, agrifood, energy, engineering, digital, and health initiatives.

Dr Lawrence’s previous roles include Pro Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Partnerships) for Research and Innovation at Deakin University, Director of New Zealand’s Centre of Excellence for Electric Power, Executive Director of Industry Recovery and Engagement, and Executive Director of Strategic Skills Projects at the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.

Diana Hallam, the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association, has welcomed the new appointment: “AFPA and the broader forestry sector are excited to have Dr Lawrence start as AFWI’s Executive Director this week,” Ms Hallam said. “Dr Lawrence’s appointment marks an important new phase for AFWI as it embarks on a program of transformative research that will help Australia’s forestry sector find new avenues of innovation and enterprise; at the same time, the world is looking for ways to decarbonise.”

About AFWI

In March, Wood Central reported that the University of Tasmania joined the University of Sunshine Coast and the University of Melbourne to form part of the $100m Commonwealth-funded program. According to (then) Australian Agriculture and Forestry Minister Murray Watt, the research from the centres “will help to support our Australian forest and wood product industries, as well as our journey to generate greater value from our sustainable forestry industries; forests are fantastic carbon stores, after all. The investment in AFWI will support innovation and research that will change how we use wood to benefit our community into the future.”

“The three research centres will help us to enhance our wood products and systems, manage and sustainably expand our Australian forestry resources, transform wood residues into renewable products and energy solutions – all while helping to address the threat of climate change,” former Minister Watt said. “Innovation is key to progress and efficiency, and this funding will allow these centres to look at new ways to ensure our forestry industries keep sustainability at their core.”

For more information about AFWI, visit the AFWI’s dedicated website.

Europe’s Costly Fix: Tackling it’s 132M Cubic Metre Timber Shortfall

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January 13, 2025